


you and i would be the world's greatest romcom

by ClassyFangirl



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: First Date, M/M, Online Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 17:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClassyFangirl/pseuds/ClassyFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt convinces Hermann to sign up for a dating website. Obviously, wacky shenanigans ensue- isn't that what dating websites are for, anyway?</p>
            </blockquote>





	you and i would be the world's greatest romcom

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaunterVaguely](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaunterVaguely/gifts).



> Another prompt fill! Heehee, this one was lots of fun to write. uwu

“A dating website,” Hermann repeats dryly.

“It’s not as stupid as you think!” Newt says. “I mean, it’s not the kinda thing I’d usually do, but.” He shrugs. “Well, we’ve been busy! You could meet someone nice, someone who won’t care if you talk about equations all through dinner.”

“I would not- are _you_ signing up for this?” he asks, mildly incredulous.

Newt doesn’t even have the dignity to look embarrassed. “Yeah, I mean, why not? I’m...it gets boring without someone to go out with. I dunno, I’ll give it a shot, see how well it works. If nothing else, I get one decent date out of it.”

“You’re going to go on a date with a random individual you meet through a computer? _Really,_ Newton?”

“Well, not yet! You never know.” Newt laughs. “Maybe their algorithm doesn’t account for kaiju groupies.”

“Algorithm?”

“Yeah- I don’t know, they say their site uses math to make ‘perfect matches’ or whatever. That sound more up your alley?”

Hermann frowns, but thinks about it. Well, it couldn’t hurt. “If nothing else, I ought to see whether their mathematics are sound or not.”

Newt grins and pats Hermann’s shoulder in a companionable way. “See! There ya go, man- I knew I could persuade you.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. I mainly want to see how utterly ridiculous this website is.”

 

ooo

 

Hermann is struck with surprise when the program matches him with a partner in a matter of minutes, and he is struck further when that partner is a man.

It had taken him quite enough effort to check the box that said “interested in men and women”- not out of some sort of internalized homophobia, he is not _that_ repressed, but more because...well, he’s only ever been with women. Actually _dating_ a man is entirely new territory for him, and while Hermann is not exactly afraid of new territory, he is exceptionally comfortable with what is familiar to him.

But the man in question is thirty-five, lives in Hong Kong, works in science, and plays the piano. There is no picture, but apparently that is the point of the site, forcing its users to go on “blind dates” and “form connections outside of physical appearance”, according to its information page.

Before Hermann can hesitate any further, the man- “KjGr90”, what kind of username is _that_ -messages him.

_KjGr90: Hey! Great to meet you!_

Hermann allows himself another minute of internal debate before sighing and typing out a response.

_HGGauss: Hello. It’s a pleasure._

_KjGr90: TBH I didn’t really think I’d get paired with anyone, or at least not so soon!_

_HGGauss: Neither had I, admittedly._

_KjGr90: Who knew!_

_KjGr90: Say- we both live in the same city, right?_

_HGGauss: It does appear so._

_KjGr90: Awesome. See, I’ve never really done this whole “online dating” thing before? So I’m not totally sure what to do, lol._

_HGGauss: I never have either. It’s an entirely new experience for me as well._

_KjGr90: So I was thinking, since we’re in the same city, we could maybe...go on a real date?_

_KjGr90: LIKE we’ve already met each other, so I’d really like to meet you in real life and do all that “first date” stuff at like a restaurant or something!_

_KjGr90: If that’s cool with you?_

Hermann hesitates. He really _would_ rather meet this gentleman in real life, as opposed to their rather one-sided conversation here. It more or less trumps his fear of how the man will react to...the full Gottlieb experience.

_HGGauss: I’d quite like that. Where and when would you like to meet?_

_KjGr90: OH MAN I know this really awesome dim sum place, let me find the address._

Fortunately, it is a restaurant Hermann recognizes and enjoys. He recalls a time he and Newton were nearly kicked out for arguing rather loudly.

_HGGauss: Yes, it’s an excellent restaurant. Would you like to meet there tonight, perhaps?_

_KjGr90: Yeah, man! That’d be awesome! I’ll meet you there at...8?_

_HGGauss: 8 sounds fine. How will I recognize you?_

There’s a brief pause, and Hermann takes the moment to grab an outfit from his closet- something nice, and not too “old man”, according to Newt.

_KjGr90: I’ll be wearing a black vest with a purple tie. And you?_

_HGGauss: A green jacket and a beige sweater. I look forward to meeting you._

_KjGr90: Same to you! :)_

Hermann leans back in his chair and processes the fact that he has just arranged a date with a man he has never met.

“ _Gott,_ ” he grumbles to himself. “If this goes poorly, I’m blaming Newton.”

 

ooo

 

At seven-thirty, freshly showered and dressed, Hermann gets in the taxi to go to the dim sum restaurant. It’s not a far drive away, even in this blasted traffic, but he would like to get there early, make a good impression. He spends most of the ride fiddling with his jacket and trying vainly to fix his hair. He wishes he’d arranged for a date on a different day, to give him time to get his hair cut by someone besides himself.

Well, there’s no sense in fussing over it now. He’ll just have to hope for the best.

He is seated prompt at seven-forty-five, and he rather wishes he’d left later so he did not have to sit here, full of nerves, for an extra fifteen minutes. Is he sweating? He’s fairly sure he’s sweating. He’d take the jacket off, but it was one of the signs he’d told his date to watch for, and he’ll look like quite a fool if he removes one of them.

His _date_. God, how long has it been since he’s called anyone that?

When his date does not appear at exactly eight o’clock, Hermann tries not to worry. Perhaps the traffic has gotten even worse, and his date may live much further away. But still- he’s nervous, and it’s been an awfully long time since he was on a date. Part of Hermann’s mind, the part that is still a child being bullied at school, begins to fear he is being stood up.

At five minutes past eight, Newt, of all people, skids into the restaurant, looking around wildly. “Hermann?” he asks, brow furrowing. “What’re you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he says. “If you _must_ know, I am...well, I am supposed to be on a date, but my partner has not-”

He pauses, and sees Newt’s bouquet of flowers, his dark jeans (the ones he considers his “nice pants”, acceptable for formal events), his black vest and purple tie. He looks rather handsome, dressed up. He thinks he notices all these things at the same time Newton notices his green jacket and beige sweater.

“Oh,” Newt says. “Oh.”

Hermann feels the heat rise to his cheeks. “Doctor Geiszler, please afford me one courtesy and say you did _not_ plan this as some sort of cruel joke.”

Newt immediately looks hurt. “No! No, never, Jesus, what kind of asshole do you think I am?” He sits down in the chair opposite Hermann’s. “I never thought- I mean, honestly, I didn’t even think you were really gonna sign up for the site, and then I didn’t think we’d...” He clears his throat. “Y’know what? I got a better idea.”

“And what might that be?” Hermann asks sourly.

“Let’s pretend this is a real, honest-to-god first date. I don’t know you, you don’t know me. Just...just to see how it goes. Okay?”

“...All right. Very well, then.”

Newt grins and holds out his hand. “Great to meet you! I’m Newt Geiszler.”

Hermann shakes the offered hand. “Hermann Gottlieb. A pleasure.”

“I got these for you.” Newt hands him the bouquet- and really, it’s _enormous,_ far too many flowers for one person on their _first date_ with a _stranger_. Apparently Newt has a romantic streak.

“Thank you. I’m, ah, not sure where to put them- ah, to hell with it.” He takes the vase sitting in the middle of their table, pushes the single flower out of the way, and carefully puts the whole bouquet into the vase. It hardly fits, but it stays. “Lovely.”

Newt is grinning at him, but not like he’s amused- well, perhaps a bit. But more like he is genuinely delighted, nothing but sheer _happiness_. Hermann flushes and adjusts the napkin on his lap. “So, Newt- you’re a scientist?”

“Yeah! I’m a biologist- I’ve got a doctorate from MIT.” He can’t seem to stand being too modest. “A _few_ doctorates.”

Hermann chuckles. “I’ve only got the one- I’m an Oxford man, myself.”

“Right! You’re a mathematician, I saw. Me, I’m not much of a numbers guy. I like stuff I can touch.”

The conversation continues as they eat. “You play piano,” Hermann says. _I never knew that,_ he wants to add, but it wouldn’t be “in character”, he supposes.

“Oh- yeah, I do.” Newt smiles and shrugs. “My parents are musicians, so I grew up all around music. I play the guitar too, do some singing- but, uh, I guess I’m not so great at that. I actually had a band in college!”

“Really?” He didn’t know _that,_ either.

“Uh-huh- we were, uh, Black Velvet Rabbit. We weren’t very good, but hey, we tried hard!”

“Hm. You ought to play something for me, sometime.”

Newt’s cheeks go pink. He nods almost shyly, and how odd _that_ is, this blustering rock star made shy. “S-sure. I’d like that.”

They take the taxi back to the Shatterdome together, and Hermann actually laughs at Newt’s ridiculous jokes, which makes Newton’s face light up. Hermann realizes he’d like to see Newt’s smile more often.

They walk to their rooms together, which are right across the hall from each other. “So, uh.” Newt shrugs at his door. “This is me.”

“Quite. I...I had a wonderful time, Newt.”

“Me too. I...” Newt reaches up and kisses Hermann. He’s surprised for half a moment before he returns it. Newt tastes sweet, and all of him is pleasantly warm. It’s nice. It’s something Hermann thinks he’d like to do again.

“Since we live so close,” Hermann says, “perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Newt laughs. “Yeah, maybe so.”

“And...perhaps you can show me that musical talent of yours. If you like.”

Newt grins at him. “I’d love to. Good night, Hermann.”

“Good night, Newt.”

**Author's Note:**

> pssst look at this http://snewts.tumblr.com/post/62077208028 look upon it and weep, ye mortals


End file.
